Spreadsheet Add-in for Hierarchical Data Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Business users face difficulties in updating server-side data in response to changes made in client-side spreadsheets, and they lack complete contextual awareness when editing data, requiring them to switch views or log in to server-side applications for relevant information.
Innovation Solution
A spreadsheet add-in facilitates the orchestration and integration between client-side spreadsheets and complex server-side data models by mapping and associating client-side spreadsheets with server-side data hierarchies, allowing users to add non-direct ancestor columns to descendant worksheets, thereby enhancing contextual awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users view only direct parent worksheet data in descendant worksheets, then the worksheet structure remains simple and easy to maintain, but users lack complete contextual awareness when editing data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by allowing descendant worksheets to contain columns from multiple ancestor levels (direct parent, grandparent, great-grandparent) within a single worksheet structure. This nested arrangement enables users to access hierarchical context information without leaving the descendant worksheet, resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple structure and providing complete contextual awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to the worksheet by incorporating ancestor columns from multiple hierarchical levels into the descendant worksheet. This dimensional expansion allows contextual information from different ancestor levels to coexist with descendant data in the same view, eliminating the need to switch between multiple worksheets while maintaining organizational structure.
2Loss of information
If users switch views or log in to server-side applications to view related information, then complete contextual information becomes available, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming view switching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges data from multiple ancestor worksheets (direct parent, grandparent, great-grandparent) into a single descendant worksheet view. By combining these previously separate views into one integrated worksheet with ancestor columns, users can access all contextual information without switching applications or views, thereby maintaining productivity while achieving complete contextual awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The descendant worksheet acts as an intermediary that consolidates and presents contextual information from multiple ancestor levels. This intermediary structure eliminates the need for users to navigate to separate server-side applications by providing all necessary context directly within the descendant worksheet interface.
3Loss of information
If ancestor columns are added to descendant worksheets, then contextual awareness is enhanced, but the complexity of data synchronization and updates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where changes in ancestor worksheets automatically trigger updates in descendant worksheets. The system monitors modifications at ancestor levels and propagates relevant changes down to descendant worksheets, ensuring data consistency without requiring manual synchronization. This automated feedback loop manages the complexity of multi-level data synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the hierarchical relationships and data binding between ancestor and descendant worksheets. This preliminary configuration enables automatic synchronization when data changes occur, eliminating the need for complex real-time coordination during actual data updates.
Data Source
AI summary
Input specifying a first parent worksheet of a descendant worksheet of a spreadsheet workbook of the client-side spreadsheet is received. The descendant worksheet includes a first data dimension to be displayed to a user. The first parent worksheet and the received input are used to access a hierarchical structure characterizing the spreadsheet workbook and a server-side data model to determine one or more non-direct ancestor worksheets of the descendant worksheet. Data is selectively retrieved from the one or more non-direct ancestor worksheets. The data represents one or more non-direct ancestor data dimensions of the one or more non-direct ancestors. The retrieved data in the descendant worksheet in combination with data of the first data dimension are displayed.